Ears Wide Open: Dummy

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Dummy

Fledgling nu-gazers Dummy make an auspicious debut with this self-titled EP, which was understandably lost amidst the COVID news cycle this past May. The brainchild of Baltimore transplant Joe Trainor (ex-Wildhoney), Dummy mostly forgo the ethereal dreaminess of his former band in favor of a sound that is as driving as it is wide-ranging. Alternating between fugue-like Krautrock, jagged proto-punk and eardrum-shattering shoegaze, Trainor and his new cast demonstrate an uncommonly strong command throughout, but the undisputed standout is “Slacker Mask” a punishingly loud outburst that would feel right at home on the Kevin Shields-assisted Primal Scream album from the dawn of the century, XTRMNTR. While Dummy’s plans to support this EP may be on hold for the time being, here’s to hoping all this time marooned at home gives everyone else plenty of time to discover what they’ve been missing.

The EP, which was self-recorded in the band’s practice space and mixed by Joo-Joo Ashworth, will be available on cassette this Friday via Pop Wig Records.

* Update: A second release, “EP2,” followed later in 2020.

||| Stream: “Dummy” and “EP2”